2007 Grants - $2900
$2900 grant recipient: Aid/Watch
Project: 'Where is your Aid Money Going' campaign –inspiring youth to advocate for effective, equitable aid for poverty alleviation
AID/WATCH is the only independent watchdog monitoring Australian aid, working to ensure that aid-funding truly does benefit the planet and its people, and promoting social justice, transparency and accountability in the delivery of Australian aid in all forms.
The grant will be used to extend AID/WATCH’s current 'Where is your Aid Money Going' campaign aimed at inspiring and generating awareness in young Australians of the need for international aid justice. More specifically, the funds will be used to produce an Australian aid kit for distribution in workshops to be run in high schools and TAFE, fund the training of volunteers for the running of these workshops, and cover travel costs to remote areas.
$2900 grant recipient: Animal Liberation NSW
Project: extension of ‘Animals in Crisis’ hotline to country and rural Queensland
Animal Liberation was founded in 1976 and works toward alleviating cruelty to farm animals, and animals used by the fur industry, rodeos and circuses. Animal Liberation lobbies, educates and provides direct assistance for animals in distress.
The grant will be used to extend its anonymous freecall ‘Animals in Crisis’ hotline from its current operations in country and rural New South Wales and Victoria to Queensland, a service that directly assists animals in cases of cruelty and neglect as well as providing an avenue for safe and anonymous public reporting.
$2900 grant recipient: Animals Asia Foundation (Australia)
Project: waste treatment system construction at Rescue Centre in Vietnam
Animals Asia Foundation is dedicated to ending cruelty and restoring respect for all animals in Asia with a focus on ending the barbaric practice of bear bile farming.
The grant will be used to fund the construction of an environmentally friendly waste treatment system at the quarantine facility of Animal Asia’s Rescue Centre in Vietnam, which will convert waste-water produced from cleaning the bear dens into bio-gas which will then fuel outside lighting.
$2900 grant recipient: Asylum Seeker Resource Centre
Project: provision of support services to asylum seekers and refugees in Australia
The ASRC is the largest provider of aid, advocacy and health services and support for asylum seekers and refugees in Australia, with 750 volunteers working with over 3000 asylum seekers living in the community and in detention.
The grant will be used to assist in the continued provision of a broad range of practical, legal and social support services such as food parcels, material aid, general and mental health care, legal services, counselling, English language and vocational training, employment and enterprise programs, social and recreational programs, family and children’s services.
$2900 grant recipient: Australian Crohn's & Colitis Association
Project: establishing awareness of IDB through forums across Australia
ACCA is a national not-for-profit organisation that funds research and provides services, programs and information to those living with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis (IBD).
The grant will be used to fund 16 IDB forums across Australia in order to increase community awareness of this misunderstood and debilitating disease.
$2900 grant recipient: Australian Drug Foundation
Project: ‘Somazone’ website providing health and issues advice for 12–25 year olds
The Australian Drug Foundation is a charitable, not–for-profit, independent organisation targeting young people in the prevention and reduction of alcohol and other drug problems.
The grant will be used to fund ‘Somazone’, a popular website for young people (12–25 years) that provides fast, free, anonymous access to non-judgmental, expert health-related information on issues such as body image, drugs, general health, harassment, mind health, relationships and sex.
$2900 grant recipient: Canberra Environment and Sustainability Resource Centre
Project: ‘Green Technology Studio’ - seed funding for renewable energy infrastructure
CESRC works with community groups, institutions, businesses and individuals in the ACT and south-east NSW promoting social, environmental and economic sustainability through practical projects and education in renewable energy. It also provides volunteer employment and skills-building for disability groups and the long-term unemployed.
The grant will be used to fund seeds for CESRC’s renewable energy infrastructure to establish an education and employment creation project relating to greenhouse reduction. This will also provide training for unemployed people and people with disabilities to build, maintain or operate such systems.
$2900 grant recipient: Chrysalis Insight Incorporated
Project: ‘Crisis Card’ campaign – raising awareness of the issues relating to poker machine gaming
Chrysalis Insight is committed to rebuilding and connecting community to lessen the destructive effects of problem gambling, and it provides community awareness programs, counselling, resources and social activities, training, and recreational alternatives to gaming.
The grant will be used to obtain and distribute materials for the Crisis Card campaign to 50 Victorian entertainment venues, to raise public awareness of the dangers of and alternatives to poker machine gaming. Materials include business-sized cards containing 24 hour addiction and crisis counselling numbers and A4 framed posters.
$2900 grant recipient: Conservation Council south east region and Canberra
Project: ‘The Big Switch’ campaign – encouraging public climate change action
The Conservation Council has been the community voice for the environment in Canberra since 1979, focusing on biodiversity protection, action addressing climate change, improved public transport and wise use of water.
The grant will be used to fund ‘The Big Switch’ campaign to be run in Canberra and the region, a community climate change campaign aimed at informing, inspiring and empowering Australians to turn their thoughts on climate change into action. Funding will be directed towards workshops, training sessions and public outreach.
$2900 grant recipient: Darling Range Wildlife Shelter
Project: equipment to deliver educational and environmental presentations
The Darling Range Wildlife Shelter Inc (DRWS) is a not-for-profit volunteer-run organisation that has been operating for 15 years rescuing sick, injured, orphaned and displaced Australian wildlife, with the aim of returning these animals back into natural environment.
The grant will be used to purchase basic presentation equipment for educational and environmental promotions on wildlife and natural environment preservation. This will improve the effectiveness and ongoing deliverance of DRWS presentations in schools and tertiary institutions, and other public avenues such as public shows and exhibitions.
$2900 grant recipient: Edgar's Mission
Project: coordinating student visitations to Edgar’s Mission to raise awareness of farm animal cruelty
Edgar’s Mission is a sanctuary for rescued farm animals set on 60 peaceable acres at Willowmavin, Kilmore, Victoria. It is a not-for-profit organisation that provides outreach programs to create a humane and just world for humans and non-humans.
The grant will be used to invite over 1500 schools in Victoria to visit Edgar’s Mission to raise awareness about the plight of farm animals in unbearable living conditions, as well as providing printed materials for students.
$2900 grant recipient: Fair Trade Association of Australia and New Zealand
Project: ‘Fair Trade Community’ program – recognising fair trade supporters in the community
The Fair Trade Association of Australia and New Zealand (FTAANZ) Inc is an incorporated, not-for-profit, member based body for all individuals and organisations interested in and supportive of fair trade. FTAANZ seeks to create awareness of the need for and benefits of fair trade for disadvantaged third world producers, to increase the availability of fairly traded products, and to encourage consumers to make the switch to fair trade.
The grant will be used to develop and promote the ‘Fair Trade Community’ program in Australia, after its successful running in the UK. This is an initiative that recognises organisations, schools and educational institutions, faith groups, workplaces and councils that have made the switch to fair trade tea and coffee products and other fair trade products. Funding will goes towards developing and distributing a promotional brochure.
$2900 grant recipient: Head High
Project: development of website resource for bereavement support groups across Australia
Head High was established in 2004 as a youth specific suicide bereavement support group, which is run by young people to provide support to other young people bereaved by suicide.
The grant will be used to fund the development of the group’s website as a resource for emerging support groups and organisations seeking to establish support groups, as well as funding the employment of a project officer to support the development of these groups.
$2900 grant recipient: Hepburn Wildlife Shelter
Project: wombat survey and mange treatment program
Hepburn Wildlife Shelter is a non-profit, self-funded organisation that rescues, cares and rehabilitates injured and orphaned wildlife in the Hepburn Shire, Victoria.
The grant will be used for the Wildlife Shelter’s wombat survey and mange treatment program, and specifically used to expand the Wildlife Shelter’s facilities and to run more training programs for bushfire rescue and treatment of manged wombats.
$2900 grant recipient: HopeStreet Urban Compassion
Project: ‘The Terrace’ – accommodation service for homeless in Sydney
HopeStreet started in 1983 as Baptist Inner City Ministries to work alongside the marginalised people in Sydney such as the homeless, street-based female sex workers, the long-term unemployed, Aboriginal people, public housing tenants, and financially and socially marginalised problem gamblers. Programs run by HopeStreet are aimed at empowering people and building capacity.
The grant will be used to fund 'The Terrace', which is a semi-supported accommodation service for homeless men in the inner-city of Sydney that also provides life-skills training, including financial management, social skills, rehabilitation and the procurement of permanent housing for residents.
$2900 grant recipient: International Women's Development Agency
Project: community education television campaign on violence against women in the Solomon Islands
International Women’s Development Agency (IWDA) is an Australian non-profit organisation that supports positive change for women and their communities, operating practical and rights-based projects directly address poverty and inequality in developing countries.
The grant will be used for television campaign ‘Stop Violence’ in the Solomon Islands with the production of 12 three minute video segments aired over six months, addressing and educating the community on the issue of violence against women, which is a common-occurring issue in the Solomon Islands.
$2900 grant recipient: Kids Under Cover
Project: ‘Bungalow Program’ in Victoria – building bungalows for homeless and at-risk young people
Kids Under Cover (KUC) is a not-for-profit organisation established in Victoria in 1989, focused on raising funds to construct purpose built, quality homes for homeless and at-risk young people, whilst ensuring services such as health care, counselling and specialised support.
The grant will be used for the ‘Bungalow Program’ in Victoria, where a new demountable bungalow is built every 10 days and placed in the rear yard of a caregiver's property to accommodate a young person in need. This program has revealed many positive benefits in providing at-risk young people with their own quiet space for study and solitude.
$2900 grant recipient: Marine Stewardship Council (Asia Pacific)
Project: media campaign and promotional materials for ‘Seafood Sustainability Day’
The Marine Stewardship Council (Asia Pacific) is a Sydney-based branch of the independent, global, non-profit organisation, with offices also in the UK, US, Japan and the Netherlands. MSC seeks to prevent the continual decline of the world’s fisheries by generating change and promote environmentally responsible stewardship, and seeks to reverse overfishing, conserve marine eco-systems and the safeguard fishers’ livelihoods.
The grant will be used to develop and promote ‘Seafood Sustainability Day’ in February and March 2008 to raise awareness about the crisis of overfishing. A media campaign is planned in partnership with retailers and others, restaurants will be encouraged to focus on MSC certified seafood and an educational programme will be developed for schools.
$2900 grant recipient: Mineral Policy Institute
Project: educating Indigenous people on the issues and risks of uranium mining
The Mineral Policy Institute is an Australian-based not-for-profit environmental and human rights organisation, dedicated to ensuring that the minerals and energy industries comply with the principles of social justice, human rights and ecologically sustainable development.
The grant will be used to prepare a toolkit for Indigenous people facing uranium projects on their land, that will include visual communications methods (DVD, photographs, website and hard copy distribution) and simplified and adequate explanation of the issues and risks associated with the exploitation of uranium. The information provided is to ensure informed decisions are made by communities with respect to uranium mining proposals.
$2900 grant recipient: National Parks Association of New South Wales
Project: running environmental protection workshops with Aboriginal community representatives
National Parks Association of NSW has run for 50 years and is a community based not-for-profit conservation group dedicated to protecting natural areas in NSW.
The grant will be used to assist in the costs of running workshops with Aboriginal community representatives in south west NSW that promote the protection of cultural and environmental values and promote ecological and cultural integrity. More specifically the grant will help to subsidise Aboriginal participants' travel and accommodation expenses.
$2900 grant recipient: New Internationalist Publications
Project: internet campaign to expand readership of The New Internationalist magazine
The New Internationalist is an independent not-for-profit co-operative that has operated for more than 30 years with more than 75 000 subscribers worldwide, publishing the world’s leading alternative news and campaigning magazine on global social justice, human rights, poverty and sustainable development.
The grant will be used to expand the readership of The New Internationalist magazine through its successful internet outreach campaign, and the magazine is widely used by campaigners and educators as a vital resource on a range of world issues.
$2900 grant recipient: Prison Fellowship Australia (Victoria)
Project: ‘Lives in Transition’ – assisting prisoners in pre and post release transition
Prison Fellowship Victoria was formed in 1982 and is part of the worldwide non-denominational Christian organisation, Prison Fellowship International. It seeks to assist prisoners, their families and ex-offenders through a dedicated volunteer network, providing programs designed to assist prisoners in the transition from prison to community, as well as mentoring programs for the children of prisoners.
The grant will be used to fund a pre and post release prison program called ‘Lives In Transition’ (LIT), where over a period of 14 weeks prison inmates undergo intensive self-awareness, values-based, vocational, and life-skills teaching that challenge their thinking in preparation for release. Volunteer mentors are used to provide community support, additional assistance to offenders’ families, and counselling.
$2900 grant recipient: Rainforest Rescue
Project: ‘Daintree Buy Back and Protect Forever Project’ – preserving the Daintree rainforest and reducing rainforest fragmentation
Rainforest Rescue is a not-for-profit, limited company dedicated to saving high conservation-value rainforests by purchasing and protecting suitable private areas with funds raised from the community.
The grant will be used for the ‘Daintree Buy Back and Protect Forever Project’, a project aimed at preserving the significant areas of coastal, tropical lowland rainforest between the Daintree River and Cape Tribulation, which has the highest concentration of ancient plant families in the world and 103 threatened species of flora and fauna. The grant will be used to buy back available higher conservation-value properties in the bid to reduce rainforest fragmentation.
$2900 grant recipient: Respite Care Bega Valley
Project: backyard play equipment for respite family holiday house
Respite Care Bega Valley provides respite to carers of people with a disability from the ages of 0–64 years of age, offering flexible programs to the needs of the carer and family.
The grant will be used to purchase outdoor play equipment for the backyard of a holiday house that allows both respite opportunities and family access, which will enhance the stay for clients and families.
$2900 grant recipient: The Friends of Oolong
Project: recovery and revegetation of the Grassy Box Woodlands
The Friends of Oolong is a not-for-profit association focused on conducting scientific research with government agencies, groups, and the private sector for the development, protection and enhancement of the Oolong Sanctuary in New South Wales.
The grant will be used for the management strategy and recovery plan for the Grassy Box Woodlands, which is listed as an endangered ecological community. This plan will involve revegetating wildlife corridors by providing endemic seeds to all local communities in the Upper Lachlan Region, as well as volunteer training in the selection and propagation of the seeds.
$2900 grant recipient: Vulcana Women’s Circus
Project: circus and performance outreach program for marginalised communities
Vulcana Women’s Circus was established in 1995 in Brisbane as a community cultural development organisation committed to communities at risk, in particular women from domestic violence backgrounds, providing circus skills training and performance opportunities for social expression and personal development.
The grant will be used to fund Vulcana’s established community outreach programs in Brisbane, which involves extensive circus and performance workshops focused on skills development and expression, cultural exchange, and capacity building. These workshops run for six months at a time with the provision of trained facilitators.
$2900 grant recipient: Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland
Project: developing and producing professional display materials for community education
The Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland (WPSQ) was formed in 1962 as a non-profit incorporated organisation committed to a sustainable future for people and wildlife, and seeks to encourage active community conservation and education through practical hands-on projects.
The grant will be used to develop and produce professional display materials to inform, educate and motivate the wider community on the hands-on community conservation projects run by the Society.